Salty Caramel

Menu News You Can Use

Above: The radiant new summertime ice cream, Juniper & Lemon Curd.

Let's cut right to it. New to the menu today:

ICE CREAMS (avail. in scoops and pints):

• Backyard Mint
• Goat Cheese with Red Cherries
• Lemon & Blueberries
• Juniper & Lemon Curd

The first three flavors above are perennial faves, while brand-new is the delicious and refreshing Juniper & Lemon Curd — loosely inspired by martini enthusiast and Columbus native son James Thurber.

FROZEN YOGURTS

• Mango Lassi (avail. only in pints)
• Black Currant (avail. only in pints)
• Grapefruit (avail. in pints and scoops)

Tart, slightly bitter, and very creamy, with a grapefruit zest finish, Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt reminds us of a tart sherbet — but with the wonderful natural tang of Seven Stars Farm's organic yogurt and Snowville Creamery's luscious grass-grazed cream. It pairs well with Pistachio & Honey and Dark Chocolate, or any other frozen yogurt on the menu.

SORBET:

• Wheatgrass, Pear, & Vinho Verde Sorbet (avail. in scoops and pints):

A nod to Walt Whitman, author of Leaves of Grass, and to breezy warm summer days, it's a lush blend of a bit of sweet wheatgrass with a lot of pear and just enough vinho verde — a young (as in "green"), effervescent Portuguese wine. Tastes like a breezy summer day feels:

Above: Wheatgrass, Pear, & Vinho Verde Sorbet.

MACAROON:

• Cloverton Mango (avail. only in scoop shops)

When Jeni lived in Miami (in the ‘90s) she used to frequent a tiny restaurant in Little Havana that served slices of a white, creamy, and light cheese with slices of fresh mango. The Cloverton Mango macaroon sandwich is her tribute to that great memory. It's like a hand-held tropical cheesecake, and we can't think of anything better to enjoy on a walk than this. The ice cream is a blend of Snowville's grass-grazed cream and super-creamy Cloverton cheese from southern Ohio's Laurel Valley Farm, and each sandwich has a generous dollop of homemade mango jam in the middle.

FROZEN YOGURT PUSH-POPS: 

• Mango Lassi
• Lime Cardamom
• Grapefruit
• Black Currant

Above: Frozen Yogurt Push-Pops — available in all scoop shops.

These will take you back to childhood, but unlike the old-time push-pops (or “push-ups”), ours are made with ingredients you can pronounce and recognize in nature. No super-sweet sweeteners, no dyes, no stablizers or thickeners or fillers. The main ingredients in ours are: fruit, Snowville's grass-grazed cream, and Seven Stars Farm's organic yogurt. Each flavor is tangy and really refreshing and creamy, and each bursts with the taste of real, completely natural, dynamic-tasting fruit.

For more information about the new flavors, check out jenisicecreams.com. And, remember — there willl be plenty more flavor news to share as summer unfurls, so please stay tuned.

James Beard Awards & Jeni in Manhattan & Brooklyn

As we've reported this spring, the James Beard Foundation has nominated Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home as one of 2011's three best cookbooks (baking and desserts category).

The prestigious James Beard Awards will be announced Friday May 4 in New York. Jeni will be at the ceremonies, and all fingers will be crossed here at Jeni's HQ that she'll walk away with her first-ever J.B.A. trophy.

Following the awards, Jeni will stay on in NYC to sign copies of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home at some of our stellar retail partners' shops — and share free samples of Salty Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Brown Butter Almond Brittle, The Milkiest Chocolate in the World, and Lemon (Frozen) Yogurt.

Here's the full slate of events:

Saturday, May 5th

• 1-2 p.m. at Foragers City Grocer, 56 Adams St. Brooklyn, 11201 (DUMBO)
• 3-4 p.m. at Stinky Bklyn, 215 Smith St., Brooklyn, 112017

Sunday, May 6th

• 1-2 p.m. at Foragers City Grocer, 300 W. 22nd St., 10011 (Chelsea)
• 3-4 p.m. at Dean & Deluca, 560 Broadway Ave., 10012 (SoHo)
• 5-6 p.m. at Eli Zabar's Manhattan, 1411 3rd Ave., 10028 

See you there!

Jeni's at The Fresh Market

Great news, ice cream lovers.

See all the little tan dots on the map above?  Each one respresents a location of The Fresh Market where you can now buy pints of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

100-some stores in 21 states.

28 locations in Florida.

15 in North Carolina.

11 in Georgia.

Etc.

Click here to see if there's a location near you.

They're stocking six flavors to start, including classics like Salty Caramel, perennial favorites like Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, and limited edition releases like Hummingbird Cake.

It just got a whole lot easier to get the good stuff for a lot of people.

Spread the word.

The Benefit for Ohio’s Wildlife—Saturday April 21

 

Saturday April 21 will be a great day for humans and animals alike at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center.

We're proud to sponsor the Benefit for Ohio’s Wildlife fundraiser to bring awareness and resources to Ohio Wildlife Center, Ohio’s premiere animal rehabilitation facility, where some 5,000 animals are treated every year.

The evening festivities will get under way at 8 p.m. and will include:

• hors d'oeuvres (Cameron Mitchell Catering)
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
• a cash bar
• a silent auction
• the work of Columbus artist Matthew Richard Barnes
• music by Buckles and Boots and Post Coma Network
• a retro-style late-night show hosted by adventurer Coyote Peterson and Columbus emcee extraordinaire/man-about-town Johnny DiLoretto
• appearances by the guests of honor, live animals

Tickets cost $15 ($25/couple) and V.I.P. tables are also available by emailing OWCbenefit@gmail.com. (If tickets remain the day of the event they will be sold at the door—cash only.)

Prior to the evening festivities, make sure to bring the young ones to Critters for Kids, which will begin at 4 p.m. and feature balloon animals, arts and crafts, live music, and Gate Dave's Safari Adventures.

Tickets to Critters for Kids cost $10 per family (cash only please) the day of the event.

In Honor of Columbus' Bicentennial: White House Cherry Ice Cream

And, now, from our flavor information department, here is an official press release loaded with information about our delicious new White House Cherry ice cream:

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2012

Jeni’s White House Cherry Ice Cream

Signature twist on historic American flavor honors Columbus’ Bicentennial and the 100^th anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the United States

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams proudly announces the release White House Cherry ice cream, which will be served in all 10 shops and available to ship nationwide.

The reinterpretation of a classic American flavor honors Columbus’ year-long bicentennial celebration as well as the 100^th anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to the United States.

“With Columbus’ 200th birthday party in full swing, the centennial anniversary of the cherry tree planting in D.C., as well as local elections and a Presidential election, it’s an ideal opportunity to revisit White House Cherry,” Jeni says. “The ice cream is instantly gratifying, but the cherries in it are a reminder of their source, cherry trees, which throughout time have symbolized good will and the promise of great things ahead.”

Classic White House Cherry features plain vanilla ice cream with candied cherries. Jeni’s version of White House Cherry features cherry blossom-scented grass-grazed cream laden with Belgian white chocolate flecks, plump sour cherries soaked in sugar syrup, and roasted whole pistachios. (The latter ingredient is courtesy of Columbus’ Krema Nut Company, one of the longest-running nut companies in North America.)

White House Cherry ice cream is perfectly in tune with the spirit of the bicentennial/election year. This Arbor Day (April 27), 20 cherry trees will be planted at the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. The (invitation-only) ceremonial planting is being coordinated by the Institute for Japanese Studies at the Ohio State University, the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio, Columbus Bicentennial, and Columbus 2020.

Jeni’s is a proud sponsor of the historic event, and will serve White House Cherry ice cream beginning at noon that day.

NOTES ON JENI’S WHITE HOUSE CHERRY ICE CREAM

• White House Cherry will be offered in all 10 Jeni’s scoop shops, and pints are available to ship nationwide at jenisicecreams.com
• Though “White House Cherry” suggests it is tied directly to the White House, no source verifies that the flavor was generated by anyone in the kitchen at the actual White House.
• The origins of classic White House Cherry, “are all over the map,” says Lynne Olver at foodtimeline.org, but, “our survey of newspapers confirms (it) was sold in 1929.”

 ARBOR DAY EVENT, FEATURING JENI’S WHITE HOUSE CHERRY ICE CREAM

 When: Noon Friday April 27 (Arbor Day).

 Where: Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43203.

 What: 20 cherry trees to be planted during a ceremony to commemorate Columbus’ bicentennial and the 100^th anniversary of cherry trees given by the government of Japan to the United States. Jeni’s will serve the new White House Cherry ice cream.

Coordinators: the Institute for Japanese Studies at the Ohio State University, the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio, Columbus Bicentennial, and Columbus 2020.

Sponsor: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

ABOUT JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS

Jeni Britton Bauer has made ice creams from scratch for more than 15 years. Jeni opened Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002 in Columbus’ North Market, and today her family-and-a-friend business makes intensely flavorful ice creams using Snowville Creamery’s grass-grazed cream and the best-available ingredients from Columbus and around the globe, including Ndali Estate’s fair trade-certified vanilla beans imported direct from Uganda and world-renowned bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Askinosie Chocolate.

JENI’S SCOOP SHOPS

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams operates 10 scoop shops, with 8 in Central Ohio, one in Chagrin Falls (near Cleveland), and one in East Nashville, Tennessee.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home

Released in June, 2011, and dubbed the “ingenious home-made-ice-cream bible” by The Wall Street Journal, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home is in its 5^th printing and is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, indiebound.org, and all Jeni’s scoop shops.

CONTACT: Aaron Beck

aaron@jenisicecreams.com

614-488-3224 (office); 614-961-9951 (cell)

###

 

Spring Fix: Savannah Buttermint & White House Cherry

The spring fix is in.

Available now in all scoop shops and at jenisicecreams.com: the perennial favorite Savannah Buttermint and the brand-new White House Cherry.

Above: Oh so refreshing, ivory yellow Savannah Buttermint. Rich grass-grazed cream, laden with salted butter and crunchy, handmade white chocolate stracciatelle ("little shreds"), balances the cool and sharp-tasting peppermint.

Above: A spoonful of Savannah Buttermint, which takes its name from that genteel Georgia city, and part of its inspiration from those old-time pastel mints.Above: Our reinterpretation of an early 20th century ice cream, White House Cherry, which arrives in the year of major local and national elections and just as cherry trees are blossoming, is also in tune with Columbus, Ohio's year-long bicentennial celebration.Above: White House Cherry.

The traditional White House Cherry recipe typically was vanilla ice cream with maraschino cherries. Ours is cherry blossom-scented, grass-grazed cream, with buttery Belgian white chocolate flecks, sugar syrup-plumped cherries, and roasted whole pistachios. It has a lovely cherry aroma that blooms on the palate.

Savannah Buttermint and White House Cherry. Sample both in our shops, savor a scoop, take home a pint, and ship them to good friends anywhere in America.

"We Are Columbus Ohio" Caravan Heading to South by Southwest Music Fest

                              

Comprising musicians who draw inspiration from an array of genres, the music collective We Are Columbus Ohio embodies the deep musical talents of Ohio's capital city.

This week, the bands and performers that make up We Are Columbus Ohio — which we're proud to sponsor — are heading to the great South by Southwest music and film fest this week in Austin, Texas.

If you're in Austin make time to check out the We Are Columbus Ohio showcase and 1 p.m. Friday March 16 at the Treehouse Pub, 501 E. 6th St., 78701 (512-473-2121).

And if you're in Nashville, catch Maza Blaska (featuring guitarist-singer and Jeni's Fulfillment Team member Yoni Mizrachi) at 1 p.m. Sunday March 18 at our scoop shop in East Nashville. The band, returning to Columbus, will play a special acoustic set on the patio. So, stop by and try the new ice creams (and your old favorites) and hear some great Columbus-bred jams such as this:

 

 

The Super Pop Cakes! Soundtrack

Above: The idea for the Super Pop Cakes! collection sprang from our love of regional cakes—and music.

The new Super Pop Cakes! flavors are delicious spectacles of textures, colors, and aromas. They all draw as much inspiration from traditional cakes of specific regions of the world as they do the pulse of those specific spots on globe—which is why a Super Pop Cakes! soundtrack is in order.

We'll soon share the entire batch of tunes with you, but here are a few of the tracks we think are right in time with the vibe of the new flavors.

Let's start with the sunny tune that embodies "Super Pop":

  

On to the Latin American-inspired Tres Leches with Here-N-There Cherries, which tastes great with this in your ears:

 

Mango Kiwi Special Cake? Try this:

 

Hummingbird Cake, they say, originates in Jamaica, but for so many years it's been associated with the American South. (The acclaimed Nashville spot, the Loveless Cafe, serves a spectacular Hummingbird Cake.) On to the Deep South:

 

Magnolia Mochi, a mash-up of American and Japanese sweet treats, demands this good-time surf guitar nugget:

 

Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake? Gotta start with something featuring Bjork:

 

Look for more songs from the Super Pop Cakes! soundtrack in the coming weeks.

The Super Pop Cakes! Collection is Available Now

Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over and we truly appreciate your patience. The Super Pop Cakes! collection is now in shops and available nationwide at jenisicecreams.com.

Please note: we're scooping all five flavors in shops, which means you'll be able to sample each one.

As we promised you last month when we postponed the release of this special set, we've made sure each of the five colorful new completely hand-made flavors are thoroughly saturated with cake-y goodness.

Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake, Tres Leches with Here-n-There Cherries, Hummingbird Cake, Mango Kiwi Special Cake, and Magnolia Mochi — let's have a further look.

ICELANDIC HAPPY MARRIAGE CAKE: Grass-grazed cream blended with skyr—a soft, yogurt-like, Icelandic cheese. A nutty, homemade, toasted oat cake soaked in sugar syrup and crumbled. All of it shot through with a roasted, ruby-red rhubarb compote.

TRES LECHES WITH HERE-N-THERE CHERRIES: Coconut milk-soaked cake, airy and sweet bits of meringue, and a generous helping of toasted coconut strewn throughout sweet, coconut- and vanilla-scented ice cream. Translucent, candy apple-red cherries, helter-skelterly added to each batch, brighten the festivities.

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE: Hummingbird Cake—the classic cake of the American South laced with pineapple, bananas, cinnamon, and toasted pecans—soaked in pineapple sugar syrup and strewn throughout creamy banana ice cream.

MANGO KIWI SPECIAL CAKE: Custard-y, yellow-orange Mango Lassi (mango frozen yogurt) and juicy, electric-green Kiwi Sorbet, with pieces of our cloud-like and just-sweet-enough angel food cake layered throughout. Tart, tangy, aromatic.

MAGNOLIA MOCHI: Sweet and subtly floral, the bubblegum-pink, magnolia-scented ice cream melts on the palate to reveal precious gifts: tiny cubes of springy, buttery, honey-soaked mochi ("mo-chee") made in our kitchen.

Cocktails with Jeni: Operation Feed Day

Looking for something fun to do this week in Columbus, something that doubles as a great cause?

Gather your friends for happy hour cocktails during Mid-Ohio Foodbank's Operation Feed Day, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday March 1 at Backstage Bistro at Shadowbox, 503 S. Front St., in the Brewery District.

Jeni will be on hand for the event, which officially launches Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s Operation Feed campaign season.

Operation Feed, Mid-Ohio Foodbank's community-wide food and funds drive, is one of the largest collaborative hunger-fighting efforts of its kind in the nation. One hundred percent of the dollars raised through Operation Feed Day go toward providing food for neighbors in need (a $10 donation pays for 30 meals).

In addition to an appearance by Jeni, Operation Feed Day will include Johnny DiLoretto of Fox-28's Good Day Columbus, former Buckeye and N.F.L. player Roy Hall of D.R.I.V.E.N. Foundation, Mid-Ohio Foodbank President & CEO Matt Habash, and music by the soul/pop band Wonder Twin Powers.

Admission is free and a donation to Operation Feed is much appreciated.

ON THE MENU:

• Drink special of the night: The Limelight cocktail (50 cents from each will be donated to Operation Feed).
• The Shadowbox Happy Hour: $2.50 domestics, $4 specialty drinks, and half-price appetizers and pizzas until 6 p.m.
• Great prizes: Shadowbox tickets, items from Columbus Alive!, and more.

RSVP for Operation Feed Day here.

And, for more information about Mid-Ohio Foodbank, go here.